Longtime Palestine advocate Liam Cunningham criticises Ed Sheeran over Macklemore’s removal from tour

Irish actor and longtime Palestine advocate Liam Cunningham criticised Ed Sheeran after rapper Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates of the British singer’s Loop Tour, Anadolu reports.

“We know who Ed Sheeran is now,” the Game of Thrones star, wrote on X.

In a subsequent post that did not mention Sheeran by name, Cunningham rejected claims of neutrality over Israel’s war on Gaza.

“If you find yourself saying ‘I’m not taking sides’ during a genocide, you are. You most definitely are,” he wrote.

The posts were the latest expression of Cunningham’s long-standing support for Palestinians.

The actor said in April 2024 that he had participated in Palestine solidarity campaigns for “30 to 40 years” and criticised public figures who remained silent over Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu in December 2024, Cunningham said his opposition to injustice outweighed concerns that speaking out could damage his acting career.

“I’ve never been a fan of injustice,” he said, adding that those seeking to silence him had only the power that others allowed them to possess.

Cunningham also supported the Global Sumud Flotilla’s attempt in 2025 to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and establish a humanitarian corridor to the enclave. He joined activists in Barcelona as the international mission prepared to depart for Gaza.

– Macklemore announces removal from tour

Cunningham’s latest comments followed Macklemore’s announcement on Instagram that Sheeran and his team had decided to remove him from the remaining dates as a support act on the Loop Tour.

The rapper said the decision came after a week of “difficult conversations” with Sheeran, whom he described as a friend of 13 years.

According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that billionaire Robert Kraft, whose company operates Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, would not allow him to perform at the venue. Macklemore said other stadium owners also objected to his presence on the tour.

Macklemore had opened for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5.

Wearing a keffiyeh, he performed his Palestine solidarity song Hind’s Hall as footage from Gaza appeared on screens and led the audience in chants of “Free Palestine.”

He told the approximately 80,000 people attending the first concert that he wanted Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know that they had not been forgotten.

During the second concert, Macklemore directly addressed Jewish members of the audience, saying criticism of Israel and opposition to what he described as apartheid and genocide did not constitute criticism of Jewish people.

He said his message was one of peace and equal dignity for all people.

In his statement announcing his removal, Macklemore said neither he nor Sheeran should be regarded as victims of the dispute and insisted that attention should remain on Palestinians facing death, displacement and hunger.

Sheeran has not publicly responded to Cunningham’s criticism.